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Best to use the gasvap with many spare caps so they cool down as you go along, I use pliars to remove hot cap, allow to cool then add OA then pick up cap with no gloves.

Yes midway is too high, I have it on absolute minimum and you get the stream without spitting, melting torches etc. My second torch has done about 1000 applications and still fires up first time. I have tried other torches and they simply dont work. Time savings are huge but you are doing...

Did you have it on absolute minimum? I use pliers to remove cap and 4 caps which are nearly cold when I come to add the acid. I agree the weak link are the torches, I have ruined one already but again that was to do with running too hot. I treated 200 colonies in just over 2 hours with the...

What went wrong with the gas-vap?

Arista are really struggling to get a VSH queen with the other essential traits that we require. Part of the process of becoming high vsh is inbreeding. I am afraid if the scientists with access to funding, resources and big names in queen breeding haven't managed to get it right what hope does...

I can't see anything related to 100% breeder queens?

You cant buy 100% vsh breeder queens, certainly who I have been speaking to, their 100% vsh queens are very inbred, and pretty much useless to anything other than being vsh, aggressive, swarmy.

Starving?

+1 for no Asian hornet resting boards ;-)

You will have to ask Kirsty Stainton who works for fera science ltd who does the research and diagnostic activities for the nbu. Not the first time I have heard it but it is the most recent.

Yes definitely, it is easier every year. Karol will come in I'm sure but I think he said the nests will be less than 500m away, I know one of mine was 100m last year. Flight time is 50 mins I believe before refuelling. I think Jersey enjoy the work, it is still fairly new and they have the...

My apprentice complains of the same, cutting the beard is out of the question. I believe the RAF have only recently allowed trimmed beards for just this reason. Good news on the Apivar, it is hands down the best treatment for colonies with high loads.

Yes it is certainly very different from 2014, I dont indiscriminately spring trap like others do. I still have hornets but it is a breeze now. I know other beekeepers who trap and have arpas out and are still inundated.

You have to remember AFB and EFB are present in most apiaries, the bees just get on with it usually. I have improved things as had quite a few cases over the years, minimal now thankfully. My cases were all linked to stress and varroa, nearly all cases had a high varroa load.

Yes, laid an egg in the last few hours queen. Virgins are nearly as good but its time required to mate. I looked at one earlier while we were on the subject, needs some help, lovely laying queen surrounded by 90% drones as the old bees die off, very little brood. Much easier than dealing with...

I nearly always shook hives out, this year I had lots of smaller colonies turn to laying workers due to bad weather and poor queen mating. This left me with lots of work so I started looking for better methods. Now I either add a nearly hatching queen cell with about 50% success, run in a virgin...

Thank you both. Lots of reading and understanding. I think a Harbo syringe setup is a must.

Hi I am in the process of making a II system. I would consider buying one but it is such a lot of money for what I can see is an overcomplicated over polished overpriced system. I have an engineer friend who can make the standard base. I have sorted the CO2 side. I have a list of bits that I...

Probably stupid questions as I am a complete newbie to all of this. Can all sanitizing be done with alcohol? Is 95% better than 70% as for some reason it is cheaper here at €0.75c for 250ml and is the contact time reduced with this concentration?

According to Beekeeping old and new (Herrod Hempsall) it wasn't Langstroth who was the first to design the moveable frame hive, it was someone in Scotland, beautiful hive too.